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drought tolerant plants

California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica)

Posted on April 17, 2018September 26, 2019 by Mostly Greek: "Living a Village-ish Life in Suburban California"

20180414_102352 There are few flowers that I don’t like. On the same token, there are few flowers that I love. I love California Poppies.

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Posted in California Natives, Drought Tolerant, Flowering Plants, Gardening, The Plants We Grow, UncategorizedTagged california native plants, california poppies, drought tolerant plants, Gardening, poppies, spring flowers10 Comments

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Welcome to Mostly-Greek! I’m Dorie, a Greek mom and yiayia (grandma) living the suburban life with my family in the heart of California like it’s a Greek village!

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Tis the season for making the annual Thanksgiving pies!! I'm the designated baker and there are two pies that I'm not allowed to skip over for this holiday: pumpkin, and a modified version of my grandmother's apple minced pie. Both perfectly sum up the fall harvest offerings. My pumpkin pie is smooth and creamy without being grossly gooey, and the minced is filled apples, raisins, cranberries, walnuts and spices accentuated with tangy citrus. Both are bursting with flavor, but neither would be complete without a good crust. Guess what? I have a recipe for that, too!! Let me help you bring the best desserts for your holiday feast, and I want you all to know how thankful I am for all the support you have given to me over the years!! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Breakfast during the summer months is usually pretty mellow. A selection of deli meats, cheeses, nuts, and fresh fruit from the garden are the usual suspects. Sometimes there may also be hardboiled eggs or canned sardines for a boost of protein. Typically fresh cooked options are off the table given how hot it is. But with the cooler weather comes the desire to have those hot and hearty breakfasts once again. These scrambled eggs are a wonderful blend of fresh herbs, leeks, white wine, and tangy feta. Forget the bland eggs served at your local restaurant, these are packed with flavor and easy to prepare. What a great way to start the day! This picture doesn't do justice to this dish, but once you eat it, you really won't care! The recipe is ready so come on over for a visit!

Aside from Greek food, I'm a huge fan of dishes that come from countries on the Asian continent. The ingredients from this region are packed with bright flavors and a variety of textures not found together in other cuisines. This ginger and beef soup was inspired by a couple of my favorite dishes offered up at a local Chinese restaurant that my family has been patronizing for years. Ginger, garlic, and beef are snuggled in a nest of mung bean noodles dotted with a collection of hearty brassica vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. It's all bathed in a rich broth seasoned with soy sauce for that full Asian inspired flavor. And best yet, it's so easy to prepare!! This recipe just hit my blog today, so come on over, dinner will be ready soon!

Currently the most popular post on my blog is for this lovely pomegranate jam. And I'm honestly not surprised. Unlike jelly which only uses juice, jams use the whole fruit (minus any seeds or pits you don't want). This means you get far more end product and a lot of delicious flavor to enjoy. Not only that, but jams can be far less finicky to make than jelly. This recipe uses the cook-down method to thicken the jam rather than worrying about reaching a set temperature and using pectin. It's so easy to do and you have more flexibility on how much you want to make at a time. Pomegranate season is in full swing right now, so this is the perfect window of opportunity to make this delightful treat to enjoy that wonderful flavor all year long! The recipe is waiting for you so come on over for a visit!

I recently saw a post for a pomegranate jelly recipe where it looked more like a goopy thick syrup sliding off a spoon. I was shocked by all the comments declaring how wonderful it looked. Ummm... no offense to anyone, but that's not jelly and it didn't look appealing at all. I scanned the recipe to see why and quickly found the culprit. Commercial pectin. It seldom seems to work right and requires a huge amount of sugar. Over the years I have figured out ways to make jellies and jams using apple scraps (yes, scraps!) for my source of pectin. The end result is a truly fruity flavored treat that sets up perfectly each time. My pomegranate jelly recipe makes a beautiful preserve that actually tastes like pomegranate and not sugar. The time to make it is sooo worth the effort! I have all the information you need on my blog, so come on over for the recipe, it's pomegranate season!

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I can't think of any Greek meal that says "I love you" more than this does. Soupa avgolemono (Greek egg and lemon soup) has all the goodness of the classic chicken noodle soup, but with a Greek twist. It's made with rice, lemon juice, and a protein boosting addition of eggs, all blended together to make a creamy and soul satisfying bowl of yumminess. Often served as a cure-all for any illness, it tastes just as good on a cold evening even when you're perfectly healthy. The recipe is on my blog, so come on over, it is definitely soup season!!

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